Respect Game or Expect Flames

Nearly 20 years after his classic debut album Fear Itself, Casual is a certified Bay Area hip-hop legend. Now, the Hieroglyphics emcee is joining forces with J Rawls (producer for Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Count Bass D J-Live, Stalley, and more) for a brand new album, Respect Game Or Expect Flames, coming August 28th on Nature Sounds. Both Rawls and Casual agree that the album came about organically. "He had a lot of beats that moved my pen," explains Casual. The result is an album that stands out in Casual's already impressive catalog. "This project is different because of the production. Rawls gave me a more universal sound than I've had on any of my past albums," says Casual. "I think it's my best work to date," adds Rawls.